The Ommatidae are a family of
beetles in the suborder
Archostemata.[1] The Ommatidae are considered the
extant beetle family that has most ancestral characteristics.[2] There are only seven extant species, confined to Australia and South America. However, the geographical distribution was much wider during the
Mesozoic spanning across Eurasia and Australia, suggesting that they were widespread on
Pangea.[3] So far, over 26 extinct genera containing over 170 species of these beetles have been described.[4] Three extant genera have been assigned to this family: Omma,Tetraphalerus and Beutelius.[5] The family is considered to be a subfamily of
Cupedidae by some authors,[6] but have been found to be more closely related to
Micromalthidae in
molecular phylogenies.[7] A close relationship with Micromalthidae is supported by several morphological characters, including those of the mandibles and male genitalia.[8] Due to their rarity, their ecology is obscure, it is likely that their larvae feed on deadwood.[9]
Genera
According to Kirejtshuk, 2020[6] and subsequent literature.
Extinct genera
†Allophalerus Kirejtshuk, 2020 – Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous (Asia)
†Asiania Lee et al., 2023[10] – Early Cretaceous (South Korea)
†Echinocups Kirejtshuk and Jarzembowski, 2020 – Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) (other authors consider this genus a junior synonym of Notocupes[11])
†?Eurydictyon Ponomarenko, 1969 – Early Jurassic (Kyrgyzstan) (possibly closely related to Notocupes[12])
†?Notocupes Ponomarenko, 1964 – Middle Triassic-Late Cretaceous (Eurasia) (other authors have considered this genus more closely related to Cupedidae[12])
†?Notocupoides Ponomarenko, 1966 – Late Triassic (Kyrgyzstan) (possibly closely related to Notocupes[12])
†Odontomma Ren et al., 2006 – Early Cretaceous (China)
The Ommatidae are a family of
beetles in the suborder
Archostemata.[1] The Ommatidae are considered the
extant beetle family that has most ancestral characteristics.[2] There are only seven extant species, confined to Australia and South America. However, the geographical distribution was much wider during the
Mesozoic spanning across Eurasia and Australia, suggesting that they were widespread on
Pangea.[3] So far, over 26 extinct genera containing over 170 species of these beetles have been described.[4] Three extant genera have been assigned to this family: Omma,Tetraphalerus and Beutelius.[5] The family is considered to be a subfamily of
Cupedidae by some authors,[6] but have been found to be more closely related to
Micromalthidae in
molecular phylogenies.[7] A close relationship with Micromalthidae is supported by several morphological characters, including those of the mandibles and male genitalia.[8] Due to their rarity, their ecology is obscure, it is likely that their larvae feed on deadwood.[9]
Genera
According to Kirejtshuk, 2020[6] and subsequent literature.
Extinct genera
†Allophalerus Kirejtshuk, 2020 – Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous (Asia)
†Asiania Lee et al., 2023[10] – Early Cretaceous (South Korea)
†Echinocups Kirejtshuk and Jarzembowski, 2020 – Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) (other authors consider this genus a junior synonym of Notocupes[11])
†?Eurydictyon Ponomarenko, 1969 – Early Jurassic (Kyrgyzstan) (possibly closely related to Notocupes[12])
†?Notocupes Ponomarenko, 1964 – Middle Triassic-Late Cretaceous (Eurasia) (other authors have considered this genus more closely related to Cupedidae[12])
†?Notocupoides Ponomarenko, 1966 – Late Triassic (Kyrgyzstan) (possibly closely related to Notocupes[12])
†Odontomma Ren et al., 2006 – Early Cretaceous (China)